A weak frontal system passed over northern California during the early morning hours of December 31. This system ended up producing light to moderate snow at times over the Sierra causing some travel delays and reduced visibilities.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS STO wrote it up.
A weak frontal system passed over northern California during the early morning hours of December 31. This system ended up producing light to moderate snow at times over the Sierra causing some travel delays and reduced visibilities. For the Valley, little to know rain was precipitation was reported.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 30, 10:10 PM PST, 58 minutes earlier.
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</html>2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Local ski resorts in the Sierra reported between 3 and 9 inches of new snow accumulation. Kirkwood reported 2 inches, Sierra-at-Tahoe had 3 inches, Sugar Bowl got 5 inches, and Boreal and Soda Springs ski resorts got 9 inches.
The COOP station in Chester, CA reported 1 inch of new snow accumulation.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2020
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 935570, 935571.